Hi guys,
I’ll be applying to schools in the fall, and I’ve started essays already.
But I wanted to email the schools and ask a few questions to learn more about the campus and also to establish a contact…
Are there any good questions to ask?
What questions are you considering?
For example, I was going to email UPenn about their Wharton school.
Maybe ask something like, “What sets Wharton apart from other business schools?”
But they have answers to similar questions under FAQ’s, so I’m not sure…
The rule of thumb is to not ask anything that could be answered from their website. If, after searching the website you can’t find anything that answers your question, then write an email. Don’t just come up with questions to make contact- that annoys busy admissions officers.
This is a very bad idea. Don’t plan to email and then think of something to ask–if you have something you must ask and can’t find it on the internet, then consider emailing; otherwise, don’t bother the adcoms–they’re busy.
Likewise if you do a campus visit don’t ask questions that can be easily answered on the website.
A school like Penn wants serious scholars and people to enhance their community; not sycophants and people who need to be led by the hand. Consider how you’d be perceived by asking commonplace questions. Are you appearing “interested” to them? or “annoying”?